IQ Capital is an international proprietary trading firm that provides traders with access to funded accounts through both evaluation-based and instant funding models.

The company focuses heavily on risk management, consistency, and disciplined trading, making it particularly attractive for traders who follow structured strategies rather than high-risk approaches.

Traders can qualify for funding by passing a challenge or opt for instant funding, allowing immediate access to capital under stricter conditions.


Business Model & Process

IQ Capital uses a structured evaluation system designed to identify consistent traders:

Evaluation Phase (Challenge)

Traders must:

  • Reach a profit target of approximately 8%
  • Respect all risk management rules
  • Stay within drawdown limits
  • Complete a minimum number of trading days

Funded Stage

After passing:

  • Traders receive a funded account
  • Profit split applies
  • Continued compliance with strict rules is required

Instant Funding Option

  • Direct access to capital without evaluation
  • Higher upfront cost
  • Same or stricter risk controls

Key Trading Rules

IQ Capital is known for its strict and clearly defined rule set, especially around risk.

Drawdown Rules

  • Trailing Drawdown (EOD): ~5% below peak equity
  • Moves only upward (never resets downward)
  • Daily drawdown limits apply depending on account

👉 This makes risk control critical, especially during volatile periods.


Risk Per Trade

  • Challenge: max. 1% risk per trade
  • Funded: max. 0.5% risk per trade

➡️ Multiple positions on the same asset are combined.


Consistency Rule

  • Challenge: max. 50% of total profit in one day
  • Funded: max. 30%

➡️ If exceeded, the profit target increases.


Minimum Trading Requirements

  • At least 2 trading days required
  • Designed to prevent “one lucky trade” pass

Leverage

  • Forex: up to 1:50
  • Indices & commodities: 1:25
  • Crypto: 1:3 – 1:5

Breach System

  • Soft Breach: position automatically closed
  • Hard Breach: account termination

➡️ Repeated violations lead to account loss.


Profit Split & Payouts

  • First $10,000 profit → 100% to trader
  • After that: 80/20 split (trader/company)

Additional payout rules:

  • Maximum 50% of profits per withdrawal
  • Withdrawal limits depend on account size
  • Regular payout cycles available

Account Types & Fees

IQ Capital offers various account sizes, typically ranging from:

  • $10,000 to $200,000 accounts

Cost structure:

  • One-time challenge fee
  • Optional instant funding fee
  • Possible management or platform fees in funded stage

Trading Instruments & Platforms

Available markets include:

  • Forex
  • Indices
  • Commodities
  • Cryptocurrencies

Suitable for:

  • Scalpers
  • Day traders
  • Swing traders

Advantages of IQ Capital

  • Strong focus on risk management
  • High initial profit split (up to 100%)
  • Instant funding option available
  • Transparent and structured rules
  • Scalable account sizes
  • Multi-market access

Potential Drawbacks

  • Strict rules, especially in funded accounts
  • Low risk-per-trade limit (0.5%)
  • Trailing drawdown can be restrictive
  • Consistency rule limits large single-day gains
  • Fees apply regardless of success

Who is IQ Capital For?

IQ Capital is best suited for:

  • Disciplined traders with proven strategies
  • Traders focused on risk control and consistency
  • Experienced traders looking to scale capital

Less suitable for:

  • High-risk or aggressive traders
  • Beginners without a defined system

Final Verdict

IQ Capital is a risk-focused prop firm with strict rules, making it ideal for traders who prioritize consistency over aggressive profit-taking.